Many of our quiet marsh ponds here are now filling with Fragrant Water Lilies. Those shown below were caught sunbathing nearby Tuesday morning, June 8.
The white crown flowers on these native plants are like strings of solar-powered lights that turn themselves off and close when it clouds over and when the afternoon light turns dusky. The next morning, with the arrival of the early morning sun, the Water Lily flowers slowly turn themselves on by opening wide, seemingly with big yawns.
While perhaps not as exotic, the Water Lily leaves (“pads”) also are attractive and perform important local summer services. They protect fish and aquatic invertebrates (e.g., dragonfly nymphs) in the shade below. Above, the pads collect insects while frogs and birds perch on them, waiting for their meals to be brought to the table. Here are archive images of a pair of Red-Winged Blackbirds waiting for service:
More broadly, the plants’ seeds are a favorite food for waterfowl and their stems (rhizomes) are consumed by many animals, including muskrats, beaver, deer, moose, and even porcupines.
Unsurprisingly, the genus name of our native Water Lily is, Nymphaea, which is derived from the Greek and Roman name for “water lily”; that, in turn, originated as a reference to mythological water nymphs. The species name for our plant, odorata, means “fragrant,” as you probably guessed. That sweet scent attracts pollinators. (Brooklin, Maine)